The need to reliably test the pH of a fluid sample is a requirement in a plethora of industries, particularly where the pH is indicative of potential quality, safety or health concerns. pH measurements are important in, for example, medicine, biology, chemistry, agriculture, forestry, food science, environmental science, oceanography, civil engineering, chemical engineering, nutrition, water treatment and water purification.
The pH of water is routinely tested. The pH of drinking water is routinely monitored to ensure that it is safe to drink, whereas the water in swimming pools is routinely tested to ensure that it is safe to swim in. Monitoring alterations in the pH of fish ponds or river water can be indicative of environmental pollution. In agriculture and horticulture, knowledge of the pH of the soil is not only instructive in the selection of suitable crops but also discerns whether there are local environmental issues, such as pollution. In the food and brewing industries, maintaining a proper pH range is essential in many of the physical and chemical reactions that take place during food and drink processing. Monitoring the pH of bodily fluids can be a useful diagnostic. For example, it has been demonstrated that the pH of saliva can predict susceptibility to a range of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.
pH testing is conventionally performed using pH meters, but these are impractical for a variety of applications as they require regular calibration using standard buffer solutions. Furthermore, the glass electrodes are fragile and must be kept constantly wet, normally in an acidic solution, in order to avoid dehydration of the pH sensing membrane and subsequent dysfunction of the electrode. Disposable pH test strips are available, but due to the permanence of the colour change as a function of pH of the test sample, the strips are unable to demonstrate any changes in pH over time. Additionally, the disposable characteristic adds to the cost implications.
A need exists for a device which enables the real-time, reversible and stable detection of pH in a fluid.